Prelude raspberry considerations

15 years ago

I thought I'd share some of my growing experiences regarding this raspberry in a zone 4A, short season climate. Prelude is the earliest ripening red raspberry that I've grown, preceding other varieties like Boyne, Killarney and Nova by up to 1-2 weeks. The fruit quality is medium firm with good flavor. Prelude's primocanes will bloom in late summer to fall but the crop fails to ripen in my short season climate (100-120 frost-free days). This reduces the next years crop since that portion of the cane (now the floricanes) dies back the following spring.

For that reason I don't recommend this variety in short season climates unless you desire a limited crop of early ripening red raspberries.

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Comments (8)

glenn_russell
15 years ago
Hi Salmon-
I'm growing two beds of Prelude in 6b, and I have to say, it's one of my very favorite varieties. Agreed... good firmness, very good flavor. I love the way it ripens early like a summer variety, but bears two crops (for me in 6b anyway) like an everbearing variety. I think it's biggest drawback is that the thorns are about the worst of all the varieties I grow. But I highly recommend it for zone 6b.
-Glenn
glenn_russell
15 years ago
Hi Salmon-
I'm growing two beds of Prelude in 6b, and I have to say, it's one of my very favorite varieties. Agreed... good firmness, very good flavor. I love the way it ripens early like a summer variety, but bears two crops (for me in 6b anyway) like an everbearing variety. I think it's biggest drawback is that the thorns are about the worst of all the varieties I grow. But I highly recommend it for zone 6b.
-Glenn
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Scott F Smith
15 years ago
I also like it a lot and also got two good crops on it. Unfortunately the stink bugs made hay out of all my raspberries last year.

Scott
djofnelson
15 years ago
I agree on flavor and also get two crops. Prelude also offers the advantage of being extremely vigorous in my soil and fills a row very quickly (probably faster than any other variety I grow including Caroline, Heritage, and a number of others).
franktank232
15 years ago
Might have to add one and see what it does for me. I have Caroline, Fall Gold and Jewel. I just made a new bed this year with all of these varieties.
gnomeabram
15 years ago
I bought 5 Prelude plants from nourse last spring, and they did produce fruit by early July, but for some reason the birds loved them. The fall crop made up for that, but there were still a lot of unripened fruit that perished with the cold weather. The upside is that my 5 plants put out at least 30 suckers by the end of the fall, so there should be a lot more fruit this year.
jolj
15 years ago
I have a raspberry plant that grows like a dewberry vine(it lays down like a vine, instead up right like a cane).
The canes get 8-12 feet long, they root if left on the soil.
The red fruit are small, one crop & last about two weeks.
If left down to run wild the canes never get any higher them 18 inches. They multiply into a patch in a few years.
Does great in zone 7b/8a.
What kind of raspberry is it?
ninam
9 years ago
I was trying to get only fall a crop with Prelude and I cut all plants back at end of October since II am gone until 20th of April. Many of these now have green berries, and it is July 24. Will I still get a second crop? Did I cut them back too early? My only option would be tocut them off late April.